The Effects of High Blood Pressure Medications on Asthma

Presence of high blood pressure and asthma in the same patients presents some difficult treatment challenges before the health care professionals. It has been found that some of the most effective blood pressure medications are known to cause adverse effects in people with asthma. Proper care is required in designing effective blood pressure treatment protocol for treating such patients with asthma and breathing difficulties.

Among the different drugs available for treatment of hypertension, beta blockers and ACE inhibitors have the most potential effect on asthmatic patients. Beta blockers decrease the heart rate and cardiac output which reduces the blood pressure. But at the same time beta-blockers can lead problem to asthmatic patients because of the presence of beta receptors in lungs. The beta receptors in beta blockers cause constriction of respiratory passage thus leading to dangerous complications in asthmatic patients. Along with beta blockers, Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, which are used in treatment of high blood pressure, may cause some problems in asthmatic patients as ACE inhibitors work in the respiratory passage by blocking the conversion of a specific protein from its inactive to active state. One of the most common side effects of ACE inhibitors is persistent, dry cough. For this reason, ACE inhibitors are usually not considered as first line drug of choice by the physician in most cases. Though, they may be used in combinations with other drugs for treatment of high blood pressure.

Calcium channel blockers, Angiotensin Receptors blockers (ARBs), and diuretics have not been shown to cause any increased or unusual risk in asthmatic patients and these drugs are considered as safe drugs for treatment of patients having blood pressure and asthma simultaneously.